Author: Pallavi Keole

Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar

Houses in Valparaiso

On Day 5, we took a trip to Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar, which are possibly two of the most gorgeous places I have ever been to.
The first stop upon arriving to Valparaiso was La Sebastiana, the house of the poet. This house was sitiutated on a hill in a way so that it overlooked the the entire city and the coastal ports. From its windows you could see all the colorful houses making their way up the hill.
In regards to the colorful houses, I was pleasantly surprised when I got a closer look at them during the walking tour and found out that they were in great condition and none of them had faded paint. My original perception was that they were not in good quality up close, but I couldn’t have been further from the truth. During the walk, we even came across a handyman who was repainting on of the houses where the color had faded, inidicating that perhaps keeping the houses’ color in top condition was enforced.
After the walking tour, we made our way down to Vina Del Mar for lunch and to spend time at the ocean, which was absolutely refreshing since the water was so cold!
On the bus ride back home, I thought about how the different lifestyles of the people here must be compared to back home in the US. There is definitely much more walking involved seeing as most of the houses are situated on hills and staircases. The coastal and clean environment kept in these winding neighborhoods gave the place a sense of liveliness, in which the colors also played a large contribution. Overall this day, and the little houses filing up the hill, will be one I hope I never forget.

Day 3-4

‘Sun’tiago

During these days, we visited the various universities around Santiago as well as the Costanera tower (tallest tower in Latin America). At the universities, I had a chance to observe the interactions between the students which turned out to be very similar to the interactions of American students. The layout and the structure of the colleges played an important role in helping enable the social environment. The college had large, spacious courtyards where all the students gathered to hang out between classes. The fresh air and view in which the college was situated in which added to the fresh environment. Studies have proven that having ventilation and sun help improve creativity, thus a prime setting for a university. The landscapes around the building were mainly shrubs or shrub-like looking trees, helping maintain greenery and preventing potential soil erosion. After visiting the university, in the evening we went to the Costanera Tower. We went up to the 62nd floor to watch the sun set behind the Andes mountains. It was absolutely gorgeous. In addition to the gorgeous sunset, the architecture of the top of the tower was also breathtaking. There was no ceiling at the top, so the air surrounding us was fresh, enhancing the experience. All around the top floor, there were hidden drains that would take care of any water that may accumulate with any precipitation.

After the sunset, we explored the rest of the tower which was essentially a shopping mall. We went into the department store which closely resembles a Walmart or a Costco from back home in Ohio. Overall this day was amazing; the views and the similarities I noticed between Chileans and Americans were striking.

Days 1-2

Days 1-2 (March 11-12):

Since the day we arrived to Santiago, we have been on the move!

On Saturday, we started by getting an orientation of the hotel and explored Providencia for lunch before heading to Cerro San Cristabal to see the Virgin Mary statue and the beautiful Santiago skyline.

When we visited San Cristabal, I was surprised by the variety of plant life present. I was originally expecting tropical plants but instead came across several deciduous trees and small desert-like shrubs along with the palm trees. The theme of the variety of plant life continued throughout the city, and was prominently apparent at the Plaza de Armas, which we visited on Day 2. Here there were several types of palms (short vs tall) and many other types of trees that I would have expected to see in North America scattered throughout the Square.

One last note I would like to make is about the sidewalks and roads here; they are predominantly made of brick which makes it hard to distinguish where the sidewalk ends and the road begins . . . so don’t be too mesmerized by the surroundings and keep an eye out for where you are walking!